It's Because You're Rude & Ginger
by triptiquefond
Summary: The Doctor explains to Donna why he doesn't like her. PLEASE R&R!


"You know what?"  
"What?"  
There was a moment of silence before he responded and for a millisecond she contemplated asking once more.  
"I don't like you."  
Her eyebrows rose in curiosity and bemusement. "Ah, excuse me?"  
"I don't like you." He repeated, folding his hands and resting his forearms on his bent knees.

The day had been off to a good start so far. They had not yet encountered any ghastly monsters or damsels in distress, so the Doctor decided to take Donna to one of his favourite places in the whole world- a tiny town nearing the east of South Australia called "Kapunda". She had laughed when he told her the name of the town and she then repeated it; suggesting that the 'punda' sound reminded her somehow of 'panda'.  
It all seemed better though, when they stepped out of the TARDIS and on to the local duck-pond. Donna stood in awe of the beautiful tall trees and the lively green island in the middle of the large pond. The only thing off-putting was the colour of the water the ducks swam and practically lived in. Although, this was tolerable, because the view of the trees and all of the pretty little swans and ducks frolicking around made up for this tiny downside.  
They took each other's hand and walked along the bridge before they sat at a bench on the opposite side to where they came.

"Shall I just leave now, then? The town seems beautiful enough; I'd love to stay..." Donna mused as she looked at the houses across the road of the duck-pond. They appeared to seem nice and cosy on the outside- the type she'd love to settle down in to.  
"No, no I want you to stay with me. I just don't like you." The Doctor stated rather simply with a shrug.  
"Ok. Um, mind if I ask why? You know- is it just something that has come to mind right now at this passing moment, or have you never really liked me in the first place?" she tried to act casual, but still had that hint of challenge in her voice that told him he just shouldn't of started this in the first place.  
"Well... it's just a thought that's been growing on me lately. I don't have anything against you...well...maybe I do. But that's only because you have the upper-hand in this situation." He once again shrugged nonchalantly, earning a bewildered look from his fiery companion.  
"What situation? _What_ are you on about?"  
"You're, just, being more awesome than me, and I don't particularly think it's very fair. For_ almost_ a thousand years I have been trying to be_ the_ _most_ awesome living creature in all of existence, and then I meet you, and all of my effort just becomes worthless, and I don't know if I can take it anymore." The Doctor explains, the look of bewilderment still glued to Donna's face.  
"ok, 1- what are you on? And 2- how do you believe that all of this is possible?" she counted these questions on her fingers and awaited the answers; sure that they would be as ridiculous as the actual statement 'you're being more awesome than me.'  
"I'm not 'on' anything. And you're ginger...and rude."  
"I'm _ginger_?" the 'rude' bit seemed to slip her mind completely, it was the 'ginger' bit that she was worried about the most.  
He made an enquiring look from her hair to her face. "Yeah, you hadn't noticed?"  
"Of course I noticed, genius. But you don't like me because I'm _ginger_?"  
"Well...pretty much, yeah."  
"Like I hadn't gotten enough of this in high school." She muttered under her breath, reclining back on the unusually-comfortable dark green park bench.  
"oh, no. No no no it's not that kind of 'I don't like you because you're ginger', thing. It's just, I've never been ginger, and I've always wanted to be ginger. So it's not because of your hair colour, it's...well...it _is_ because of your hair colour, but..."  
"tut tut, I know what you mean, alright? Just slow down there. And what do you mean 'I've never been ginger'? Do Timelords get to dye their hair like normal people as well? And if they do, why don't you just go to a salon?"  
"No, it's a little different to that. I regenerate from time-to-time, and, well hopefully it's a situation that you'll never need to encounter, but I turn in to a different...person." he tries to explain as smoothly as possible.  
"So...you change? It's not always you?"  
"oh, no it _is_ always me, I just look... different." The Doctor took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. Donna tried her best to suppress an oncoming tear from rolling down her cheek. She'd come so far from a Temp living at home with her mother in Chiswick, and despite his paper-thin physique- she'd become quite fond of _this_ incarnation and would not know what she would do if she had to lose him against her will. Donna snuggled in a little bit closer to the Doctor and rested her head on his shoulder, letting that single tear flow down her cheek. "Well, I _do_ like you, and to prevent you from leaving- maybe we should just stay here forever."  
"What makes you think I'd want to stay with _you_?" he jokes, of course, squeezing her hand just a little comfortingly tighter.  
"Ah, because I'm rude and ginger, of course." She gives him one of those infamous smirks, and he repeats "of course" before dropping a gently subtle kiss on her forehead.


End file.
